BRANDING / WEB DESIGN & DEV
Hakone is the oldest Japanese and Asian estate, retreat and gardens in the western hemisphere located in Saratoga, California. I wanted to revamp their website and branding to reflect the ambiance of the estate and gardens. I felt that their current branding and website did not portray the tranquility and beauty that’s within Hakone.
For the rebrand, I chose a typeface that emulates the natural brush strokes of old Japanese calligraphy. The practice of Japanese calligraphy is a conversation with the true self. It’s been said that when writing with a brush your mind becomes calm and pure allowing you to be at peace. There is a strong sense of calmness and peace throughout the gardens of Hakone so my design goal was to communicate just that.